


Shared Secrets

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-30
Updated: 2006-03-30
Packaged: 2019-02-02 11:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Daniel casually said as he cut the mold off the cheese, "Oh, yeah, I sort of developed the ability to eat anything." Daniel shares a bit of his past.





	Shared Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Mention of child neglect, but trust me, this is not melodrama or depressing.  


* * *

Daniel casually said as he cut the mold off the cheese, "Oh, yeah, I sort of developed the ability to eat anything."

Jack tipped his head quizzically.

"Well, when I lived at Edna's -- she wasn't very good at keeping up with the groceries." The knife clicked on the cutting board as Daniel sliced. "I once had to pick the bugs out of an entire container of oatmeal. But the bugs looked just like the oatmeal flakes so you really couldn't get them all." Daniel wrinkled his nose. "It was better not to look."

Jack's brows drew together. "Daniel, that's...."

Daniel shrugged. "She meant well. Just... took on more kids than she could handle. A lot of foster parents are like that: more heart than sense. But that was why I was so mad at Nick. I kept thinking that if he had taken me in I wouldn't be there." 

He crossed the room and laid the cheese tray in front of Jack. "I don't think there's any mold on it now," he chuckled, "but you'd better check."

"Yeah. Guess so," Jack said, his face dark with concern.

Daniel swept the bangs off his forehead. "I was only there six months. A social worker caught on and took all of us away. Which was hard on Edna; I didn't know what to say to her, except goodbye. It was too bad though, because some of them had been in places much worse." He picked up a slice of cheese and sighed as he sat down. 

"I got lucky after that. Peg and Kevin were really... kind. And I was the only one they took in. That's rare. I was there from seventh grade till I went to college."

"You must've been a cute little tyke," Jack observed softly. 

Daniel snorted with a smile. "I was very, very good. When I saw that I was gonna have my own room, and video games..."

"Nintendo -?" Jack looked up hopefully.

"Atari."

"Oh yeah..." Jack tipped back in his chair.

"I saw that and I wanted to stay for sure." Daniel gave an embarrassed grin. "Even with my parents," he said, "a lot of times I had to put away my bed in the morning so we could have the living room back." He popped another slice of cheese into his mouth and smiled softly. "You can't make a living in archeology."

Jack leaned forward and set his beer on the coffee table. 

"Daniel? Anyone ever tell you your life *sucked*? I mean, really sucked."

"Oh, I don't think so. I got to see the world." Daniel borrowed a sip of Jack's beer. He had edged into a sunbeam and the light caught bright blue eyes. "If anything the rough spots gave me an appreciation that some people were worse off than me." 

Finis.


End file.
